Nintendo Plans To Double Production Of Switch

The Nintendo Switch has been warmly received since its launch on March 3. But Nintendo is not one to rest on its laurels.

Nintendo is reportedly planning to produce 16 million units of the Switch starting this April, when the company's fiscal year begins anew. Backed by strong demands, this number is double the initial 8 million units planned by Nintendo for 2018. The company reportedly sold 1.5 million units on its first week, buoyed by the strong sales of its flagship game The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild.

This increased production plan came in the light of several issues like poor battery performance and Joy-Con connectivity problems. Several more game titles are lined up for the new console, so the plan could be in preparation to meet future high demands.

Nintendo Switch And Its Predecessors

According to the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo is planning to produce 16 million units by the end of its fiscal year in 2018. While Nintendo declined to comment, it is expected to release its projection for its next fiscal year this April, when it will also release its earnings for the year. The Switch is looking good so far both critically and commercially, so the reception can give an optimistic forecast for the console.

The 16-million figure already tops the total sales of the Nintendo Wii U, the Switch's console predecessor that has only sold a disappointing 13.5 million units since its 2012 launch, despite the projected 100 million units.

Nintendo obviously wants to follow the success of the Wii, the Wii U's predecessor launched in 2006 that reportedly sold 101.63 million units as of 2016. The Nintendo Wii managed to sell 20 million units on its first year, a magic number that Nintendo bosses will surely try to match or even exceed. According to Nintendo chief executive Tatsumi Kimishima, they are targeting to ship 2 million units each month.

On the portable side of things, the Nintendo 3DS has scratched the 65-million sales mark since its release in 2012. Because of its dual home console-portable nature, the Switch can end up supplanting the 3DS in the future, although the company isn't planning on resting it anytime soon.

Nintendo Switch By The Numbers

The Nintendo Switch is the panacea that Nintendo is hoping will cure its sales woes. So far, the numbers are looking good.